Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Will Christ come in secret?

I thought I would do this topic as I have had a query about this recently, and I have found some great information for people study this topic. I also know of many churches around who believe in a secret rapture of God's people before the main even of Christs 2nd coming.

A large number of Christians have been exposed to this "dispensationalist" or "futurist" interpretation of prophecy and have been hopelessly confused.
According to this view, the coming of Jesus will be in two separate events. First, He will come secretly to take the church to heaven, and then, seven years later, He will come in an open demonstration of power and glory. In between those two events, the Antichrist is supposed to come into power and the great tribulation period takes place. But the truth is that the Bible nowhere speaks of these two separate comings of Jesus. There is no second stage of His coming that occurs seven years after the so-called "rapture." By the way, that word "rapture" is also an invention of theologians. It can't be found in the Bible in even a single instance. It is a word coined for the second advent of Jesus.

Lets have a look at what the bible says about the rapture being secret - remember, when it comes to studying a topic in the bible, it must be consistent throughout, we cannot just go on one liners and one mention of it.

Please keep in mind that Jesus called this resurrection the "last day." But how could it be the "last day" if this gathering of the saints takes place seven years before the end of the world? And how could the "last trump" sound if it really wasn't the very last moment of time?
Can you imagine the graves opening and the righteous rising and no one knowing that it had occurred? And consider this additional testimony of the Word of God:

Revelation 6:16,17 When the wicked see Christ come, they cry out to the rocks and mountains, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"

Matthew 24:27 "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."

1 Corinthians 15:52 "For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised."

Psalm 50:3 "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence."

Revelation 1:7 "Every eye shall see him. "

Matthew 24:30 "Then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

Matthew 24:31 "He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (This is clearly the time when Christ comes to gather His saints.)

I would think this was pretty consistent that this will be a "Loud" event?
When thinking about the end of time, and Christs advent, this passage comes to mind and I believe is a holding point for most secret rapture believers, but lets look at it and discuss:

"But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (Matthew 24:37-41).

Jesus is clearly drawing a parallel between the second coming and the days of Noah. Those who entered the ark in Noah's day were saved, and those who refused to enter the ark were left outside. But what were they left for? For another chance? No, obviously they were left to be destroyed by the Flood. So, says Jesus, will it be when He comes at the end of the world. One will be taken to heaven with Jesus, and the other will be left for destruction. Its that simple....reading into it any other way is dangerous and can cause you some serious gaps in your mind to be deceived later. Lets say a False Christ comes - which we have been warned about in: Mat 24:24 "For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
and
Mat 24:5 "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.

So - if you open your mind up to this falseness, you may yourself be raptured by the wrong Christ!

For a complete study - with thanks to Joe Crews and his research.... read on over at
http://www.amazingfacts.org/FreeStuff/OnlineLibrary/tabid/106/ctl/ViewMedia/mid/447/IID/82/LNG/en/7/The-Secret-Rapture/SC/R/Default.aspx

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